Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The caste system is based on what was originally known as Varna System...

It is the system in Indian Society which divides the society in 4 parts...

1) Brahmins- The intellectuals of the society.. Those who use their brains for the society... All students, Teachers, priests, doctors, lawyers, scientists poets, writers etc. were and are supposed to be called as Brahmins..

2) Kshatriyas- The class of people which use their physical strength for the social purposes.. The Army personnel, Para-military forces, Police, Players, etcwere and are supposed to be kshatriya OR the Warrior class...

3) Vaishyas- They are the businessmen... Those who use their brains for their own upheaval first and ten for society.. All thepeople who are the owners of some sort of business of their own were and are supposed to be called Vaishyas...

4) Shudras- The worker class. Those who server any of the above three are called shudras... All the people who are in government service, or who serve someone, or some institution to earn their lively hood, thus using their physical strength for their own upheaval first and then for the society were and are supposed to be called Shudras...

This is the basic classification of Indian Society since thousands of years...

It was initially done by a King named Manu...after glaciation..

Now, initially, the attribution of Varna to an Individual was strictly based on profession of an Individual... That is a person could choose the Varna by choosing the profession.. And if he changes the profession, he could change the Varna...

But as time progressed, gradually, the merit OR Profession based classification of masses transformed itself into classification by birth...

That is , the Son of an Brahmin was initially given his own Individual varna on the basis of profession he choose.. But later it became on the basis of birth. If father of a individual is Brahmin, the son automatically becomes Brahmin...

Similar to other varnas..

This was the origin of Caste system..

In further course of time, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas became the predominant people in the society... Brahmins OR the Intellectuals, as it is natural, got the topmost respect.. This happens everywhere... Intellectuals are most highly paid and highly respected individuals.. Similarly Kshatriyas Or the warrior class became second most highly respected class.. Vaishyas OR businessmen came third..

It must be however noted that Although Brahmins received highest respect, their population is merely 3%-5 % of total Indian population..This 5% people controlled rest 95 % only by the means of knowledge.. But never by means of power... Brahmins never had complete political power rested in their hand in history of India except twice...so out of thousands of years of Indian History, only 150 years were such when Brahmins had ultimate political power...

Rest of the time, it was Warriors...

Further moving in the course of time.. The Shudra community further divided.. Here comes the rise of the actual oppressed class, dalits.. Few shudras who belonged to lowest part of social strata were oppressed by all of them above..

I repeat ALL OF THEM.. That means even few of their fellow shudras who were NOT DALITS oppressed them.. Vaishyas oppressed them. Kshatriyas oppressed them. Of course, Brahmins oppressed them...

After 1947, when India gained her independence, special reservations were given for these classes of society known as Dalits... Slowly the social standard of their living in raising.. Although it is difficult to eradicate the system with more than 5000 years of history in mere 60 years, It is now paying off.. The dalits in urban areas at least are now completely free and equal to Brahmins with no discriminations. Even rural parts in western and southern India are having dalits with respectable positions in society.. However certain provinces in North are still a major problem...

Thursday, August 02, 2007

World War 2 was single biggest reason for India's independence. Other factors simply acted as co-factors. The British suffered so greatly in World War 2 that they did not have enough men to govern the large empire. There was a generation of Indians who were educated in Nationalistic schools and were not as brainwashed as their counterparts who were educated in British Funded schools and had become important part of British government.

Large number of Indians, particularly Hindus, were enlisted in Army. Most of them were nationalistic People. The hold of British on armed forces was wavering. This is evident by the fact that Naval forces in Bombay and Air force in Karachi rebelled against British government.

These two mutinies within span of 12 months (Naval mutiny in 1946 and air force mutiny in 1945) shook the belief of British that they could hold India by force for long. The unprecedented support that Indian National Army (INA) of Subhashchandra Basu in general public of mainland was also against the forcible occupation of India by British.

The moderates, like Gandhi, were successful in igniting discontent in minds of general public of India. They made every Indian FEEL that India must attain independence. I do not agree with philosophy of Gandhi nor do I agree with his modus operandi.

But he was greatly successful in intensifying the discontent in hearts of Indians which was ignited by Lokmanya Tilak, his predecessor.

He also invented a way through which common Indian man can contribute to cause of Indian independence,Satyagraha. Common man in India is not a dare-devil. He is certainly incapable of assiduosly carrying out all the actions that revolutionaries perform and is incapable of bearing the consequences. This is partly due to the fact that Indian man loves Status quo. There has NEVER been a revolution in India, particularly in Hindu India; with notable exception of Pushyamitra Sunga.

Satyagraha enabled Common 'Status quo loving' Indians of contribute their 2 cents to the larger cause of Indian independence. It provided them necessary safety and security that their lives won't be forfeit. Hence they contributed to the movement with alacrity. However this fact cannot be ignored that in doing so, Gandhi created a Nation of Cribbers who protest and strike for all the negligible causes. He ensured that Indians won't ever protest in constructive manner as, for example, Japanese do. The authorities become senseless and deaf due to continuous protests, and the sufferers have to become audacious to have their voice heard. Thus, India has entered a vicious cycle, thanks to Satyagraha Philosophy.

All these factors contributed to the cause of Independence of India which was direct result of Pyrrhic victory achieved by British over Germany. It is common misconception that Quit India movement was non-violent. Quit India movement got over in few days it started. In these war years, common Indian were fighting in all possible ways, whichever they felt was necessary and appropriate. And most of the times, it was Violent way.

There are various instances like that of Krantisingh Nana Patil of Solapur who established parallel local governments, creating many BRITISH FREE ZONES in British India. Government could not react these attempts with great fervor as it was busy in WW2.

It is garrulous to state that Congress, Gandhi gave India her independence in Non Violent Satyagraha, as it is commonly imprimmed upon young minds in India. This is an insult to all the other people who contributed their efforts, hearts and souls for Indian independence and who did not approve the means of Gandhi and Congress hijacked by him.

It was World War 2 and subsequent enervation of British Empire along with increase of nationalistic Hindus in armed forces who were not very keen to serve under British supported by great support of Common Indian Man in all possible ways, that led to India's Independence.